


The Fox and the Eagle

by therune



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-07
Updated: 2012-04-07
Packaged: 2017-11-03 05:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/377566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therune/pseuds/therune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>kinkmeme request: any interaction between Giovanni Auditore and La Volpe</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fox and the Eagle

Giovanni is a young man, about 15 years old, and, compared to Monteriggioni, Firenze is a big city. He feels a strange freedom - no chores for his father, no courier jobs to other cities and finally, a pause from all the training. Mario loves training, sparring; everything that involves muscles, shouting and hitting people. Giovanni can't remember a day without aching muscles or bruises. Father says that they only want his best - they want him to be prepared, but Giovanni remembers all too clearly the times Mario has had him in a headlock, pinned to the ground and then he laughed into his face. His brother is such an ass sometimes.

But Giovanni is free, for now. Father says that they will have more business soon in Firenze and wants his son to get acquainted with the city. For two days Giovanni has walked in the streets, memorizes the alleys and piazze, and knows the locations of the doctors and blacksmiths. Now, he is perched on a high tower, looking over Firenze. He can see all of the city and she is beautiful.

"Admiring the view?" someone asks. Giovanni startles and almost falls down. A hand grips him tightly, steadying him. "Sorry about that."  
He turns around, ready to use the blade. No one but his family could have climbed so high, no one should have reached him. The hooded figure on the ledge is crouched in a smiliar pose to him, hand still outstretched.  
"I was curious," the figure says. It has to be a man, or more likely, a boy. He wears no shoes, his breeches are ripped and don´t reach his knees, his shirt seems to be too big for him. A single dagger is at the sash tied around his hip. Were it not for the cowl, Giovanni would think him a normal kid from the street, an orphan perhaps. But the cowl - it is made of fine and expensive cloth, it looks soft, luxurious, there is a gold lining. It also is much too big for the boy, it pools around his feet. He must have stolen it.  
"Not many people come up here, actually no one besides me and the guards chasing me."  
Giovanni sees a toothy grin underneath the hood.  
"Then, you are a thief?"  
"Please, you insult me. I am the king of thieves. But, I am curious," the boy continues, "you are no thief, you´re not from here. What brings you to Firenze?"  
"I do not discuss business with strangers," Giovanni quips.  
"A quick mind and a sharp tongue, I like that. Then, we should be no strangers." He outstretches his hand, palms faced upwards. "Call me la Volpe."  
Giovanni grins and grips his hand. "If you are a fox, then I shall be an eagle. L´Aquila, at your service."  
"Then, what brings you to Firenze?"  
"What brings you to Firenze, no less on top of a tower?"  
"I am here to gaze upon my kingdom, nothing more, nothing less."  
"Aren't you a cocky little fox! I am just here to see the city, to learn more, to experience it."  
La Volpe smiles."Then, I shall be happy to act as a guide. If you can keep up, that is," he adds.  
"Always."  
La Volpe leaps from the tower, his cape fluttering behind him. Giovanni follows this strange king into his kingdom.

They race over rooftops, climb every building that is to climb, and all the time la Volpe talks, showing him the sights, talking about the history, culture and famous people. Hours later, they are back on the roofs, sitting in one of the gardens there. La Volpe gives him a pastry. "Did you steal that?" La Volpe bites into a pasty of his own. "Maybe."  
Giovanni smiles.  
"Do you have anything to do tomorrow?" he asks.  
"Maybe," la Volpe retorts, "what does the eagle have in mind?"  
Giovanni smirks. 

Spending time with la Volpe is fun. At home, there´s training and there´s a purpose behind everything. His studies will help him blend into civilian life, his training steels his body, even when he was younger, playing with Mario was supposed to prepare him for his life as an assassin. There is no hidden agenda with Volpe, they chase each other over the rooftops without thinking about how it trains their legs, how Giovanni learns more about the city, without devising strategies. Giovanni follows the strange boy with his big cape and wonders how he doesn´t stumble over it. But nevertheless, he never catches Volpe. La Volpe shows him how to pickpocket and blend in seamlessly wih the crowds. Giovanni doesn´t like stealing, but he acquires the skill in short time. He doesn't quite understand how they can blend in - they should stand out like sore thumbs, he in his white robe, la Volpe in his shabby clothes and grand cape. La Volpe clasps his shoulder and tells him not to worry.

However, there are other skills that Volpe hasn't mastered. His skills with a blade are laughable, but Volpe claims that he doesn´t need them. He lets Giovanni teach him anyway as he sees how much it pleases him. At home, Giovanni is the youngest, there is nothing he can do that his brother or father can't already, he can't impress anyone with his skills.  
It feels good to teach someone, to help someone get better. Giovanni laughs when la Volpe confesses that he can't ride, has never been on a horse before. Gladly, he shows la Volpe how to ride a horse, and they both terrorize a small village on the outskirts of Firenze, as their horse gallops wildly, Giovanni and la Volpe barely holding on, laughing like madmen all the time. Giovanni holds the reins, la Volpe in front of him, whooping with joy.

Later, they are again on the rooftops, panting from a race that Volpe has won once again. "This time, I almost had you," Giovanni says, chest heaving. "You wish," la Volpe retorts. He grins. The wind wips at their clothes, tears at their hoods. Giovanni pushes his out of his face. "That's better."  
La Volpe eyes him curiously. "What brought this on?"  
"It's hot, I´m sweating - I need no other reason."  
The "I trust you" remains unspoken, but not unheard.  
La Volpe smiles and pushes back his hood as well.  
"Your eyes - I never noticed they were so ...violet."  
La Volpe snorts. "So, you´ve been looking anywhere but my eyes, I bet the ladies just love this trait."  
"I have not heard complaints yet."  
La Volpe´s face is sharp, all edges and angles, he even resembles a fox, just a bit. He grins and Giovanni grins back.  
"Were you expecting something else?"  
"No, Volpino, you are exactly as I imagined you to be."


End file.
